Flywheel device

Abstract

A flywheel device includes a rotatable wheel that can have a rotatable composite rim structure with multiple radial layers of metallic material. The metallic material can have surfaces covered with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive. Radially adjacent layers of the metallic material can be bonded together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the metallic material.

1 . A flywheel device having a rotatable wheel comprising:
 a rotatable composite rim structure comprising multiple radial layers of metallic material, the metallic material having surfaces covered with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, radially adjacent layers of the metallic material being bonded together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the metallic material.   
     
     
         2 . The flywheel device of  claim 1  further comprising a core member having an outer perimeter, the composite rim structure being formed over the outer perimeter of the core member, the multiple radial layers of the metallic material extending around the core member. 
     
     
         3 . The flywheel device of clam  2  in which the metallic material comprises metallic fibers wound around the core member. 
     
     
         4 . The flywheel device of  claim 3  in which each layer of the metallic material comprises twisted multiple strand metal wire cable positioned side by side. 
     
     
         5 . The flywheel device of  claim 4  in which each layer of the metallic material has laterally adjacent cable bonded together with the thermosetting polymer resin. 
     
     
         6 . The flywheel device of  claim 5  in which the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive has a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the multiple strands of the cable for bonding to and filling between the strands and to fill small cavities in the strands, the second layer covering the first layer and having a higher viscosity for further bonding and filling and providing a larger surface area for the thermosetting polymer resin to bond to. 
     
     
         7 . The flywheel device of  claim 6  in which the thermosetting polymer resin is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin and polycarbonate resin. 
     
     
         8 . The flywheel device of  claim 2  in which the core member comprises polymeric material. 
     
     
         9 . The flywheel device of  claim 2  in which the core member comprises composite material. 
     
     
         10 . The flywheel device of  claim 2  further comprising two side walls on opposite sides of the core member and the composite rim structure. 
     
     
         11 . The flywheel device of  claim 10  in which the core member and the side walls are formed of sheets of polycarbonate material laminated together with epoxy and clamped together with fasteners. 
     
     
         12 . The flywheel device of  claim 2  in which the rotatable wheel further comprises a horizontal support shaft extending through the core member for supporting and for rotating said wheel about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The flywheel device of  claim 12  further comprising a motor rotatably connectable to the rotatable wheel for rotating said wheel to a desired speed. 
     
     
         14 . The flywheel device of  claim 13  further comprising an electric generator rotatably connectable to the rotatable wheel for being rotated by the rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         15 . The flywheel device of  claim 14  further comprising a clutch connected between at least one of the motor, the generator and the rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         16 . The flywheel device of  claim 15  further comprising an enclosure containing at least the rotatable wheel and surrounding the rotatable wheel in a low density environment. 
     
     
         17 . The flywheel device of  claim 1  in which the rotatable wheel has a diameter to width ratio of at least 2:1. 
     
     
         18 . The flywheel device of  claim 1  in which the rotatable wheel has an outer diameter of at least 48 inches, a weight of at least 1700 lb. and is capable of rotating at a speed of at least 1000 rpm. 
     
     
         19 . The flywheel device of  claim 18  in which the rotatable wheel has a weight of at least 10,000 lb. 
     
     
         20 . The flywheel device of  claim 19  in which the rotatable wheel has a weight of at least 20,000 lb. 
     
     
         21 . The flywheel device of  claim 20  in which the rotatable wheel has a weight of at least 30,000 lb. 
     
     
         22 . The flywheel device of  claim 21  in which the rotatable wheel has an outer diameter of at least 72 inches. 
     
     
         23 . The flywheel device of  claim 18  in which the rotatable wheel is capable of rotating above 9000 rpm. 
     
     
         24 . A flywheel device having a rotatable wheel comprising:
 a composite core member having an outer perimeter; and   a composite rim structure formed over the outer perimeter of the core member, the composite rim structure comprising twisted multiple strand metal wire cable positioned side by side and wound around the core member in multiple layers, the cable having surfaces covered with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, laterally adjacent cable and radially adjacent layers of the cable being bonded together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the cable, the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the multiple strands of the cable for bonding to and filling between the strands and to fill small cavities in the strands, the second layer covering the first layer and having a higher viscosity for further bonding and filling and providing a larger surface area for the thermosetting polymer resin to bond to.   
     
     
         25 . A composite structure comprising:
 a material having fibers;   a first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the material, said first layer having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the fibers for bonding to and filling between the fibers and to fill small cavities in the fibers; and   a second layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, said second layer having a higher viscosity for providing further bonding and filling.   
     
     
         26 . The composite structure of  claim 25  in which the material having fibers comprises twisted multiple strand metal wire cable. 
     
     
         27 . The composite structure of  claim 25  in which the material having fibers is a web wound and bonded into a composite material core. 
     
     
         28 . A method of forming a flywheel device comprising:
 assembling multiple radial layers of metallic material;   covering surfaces of the metallic material with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive; and   bonding radially adjacent layers of the metallic material together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the metallic material, thereby forming a rotatable wheel having a composite rim structure.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising forming the composite rim structure over an outer perimeter of a core member by extending the multiple radial layers of the metallic material around the core member. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming each layer of the metallic material by winding metallic fibers around the core member. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising forming each layer of the metallic material by winding twisted multiple strand metal wire cable side by side and bonding laterally adjacent cable together with the thermosetting polymer resin. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28  in which bonding radially adjacent layers of the metallic material comprises:
 winding an underlying layer of metallic material;   covering surfaces of the underlying layer of metallic material with an underlying coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive;   covering the underlying coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive on the underlying layer of metallic material with a bonding coat of polymer thermosetting resin;   winding a subsequent layer of metallic material over the underlying layer of metallic material and contacting the bonding coat of polymer thermosetting resin; and   covering surfaces of the subsequent layer of metallic material with a subsequent coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, thereby bonding the subsequent coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive and the subsequent layer of metallic material to the bonding coat of polymer thermosetting resin.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising:
 curing the underlying coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive before applying the bonding coat of polymer thermosetting resin; and   curing the bonding coat of polymer thermosetting resin before winding the subsequent layer of metallic material over the underlying layer of metallic material and the bonding coat of thermosetting polymer resin.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  in which covering the surfaces of the metallic material with the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive comprises;
 covering the surfaces with a first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the multiple strands of the cable for bonding to and filling between the strands and to fill small cavities in the strands; and   covering the first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive with a second layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a higher viscosity for further bonding and filling and providing a larger surface area for the thermosetting polymer resin to bond to.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising bonding the radially adjacent layers of the metallic material with a thermosetting polymer resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin and polycarbonate resin. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming the core member from polymeric material. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming the core member from composite material. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising securing two side walls on opposite sides of the core member. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising forming the core member and the side walls from sheets of polycarbonate material laminated together with epoxy and clamped together with fasteners. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising extending a horizontal support shaft through the core member for supporting and rotating the rotatable wheel about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising providing a motor that is rotatably connectable to the rotatable wheel for rotating said wheel to a desired speed. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising providing an electric generator that is rotatably connectable to the rotatable wheel for being rotated by the rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  further comprising rotatably connecting a clutch between at least one of the motor, generator, and the rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  further comprising containing at least the rotatable wheel within an enclosure and surrounding the rotatable wheel in a low density environment. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with a diameter to width ratio of at least 2:1. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with an outer diameter of at least 48 inches, a weight of at least 1700 lb, and capable of rotating at a speed of at least 1000 rpm. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with a weight of at least 10,000 lb. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with a weight of at least 20,000 lb. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with a weight of at least 30,000 lb. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel with an outer diameter of at least 72 inches. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 46  further comprising forming the rotatable wheel to be capable of rotating above 9000 rpm. 
     
     
         52 . A method of forming a flywheel device comprising:
 forming a composite core member having an outer perimeter;   winding multiple layers of twisted multiple strand metal wire cable positioned side by side around the outer perimeter of the core member;   covering surfaces of the cable with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive;   bonding laterally adjacent cables and radially adjacent layers of the cable with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the cable, the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the multiple strands of the cable for bonding to and filling between the strands and to fill small cavities in the strands, the second layer covering the first layer and having a higher viscosity for further bonding and filling and providing a larger surface area for the thermosetting polymer resin to bond to, thereby forming a rotatable wheel having a composite rim structure formed over the core member.   
     
     
         53 . A method of forming a composite structure comprising:
 covering a material having fibers with a first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a lower viscosity for penetrating into and between the fibers for bonding to and filling between the fibers and to fill small cavities in the fibers; and   covering the first layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive with a second layer of cyanoacrylate type adhesive having a higher viscosity for providing further bonding and filling.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  further comprising covering twisted multiple strand metal wire cable. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53  in which the material having fibers is a web, the method further comprising winding and bonding the web into a composite material core. 
     
     
         56 . A method of balancing a flywheel comprising:
 rotatably supporting the flywheel about a horizontal axis;   statically balancing the flywheel by allowing a heavy side of the flywheel to rotate to a bottom position and adding weight to a top position or removing weight at the bottom position; and   dynamically balancing the flywheel with a laser balancing system by applying sensor and laser reflective materials to the flywheel, rotating the flywheel from about 100 to 700 rpm, and adding or removing weight indicated by the laser balancing system by drilling at least one hole in a side of the flywheel at indicated locations and when adding weight, inserting at least one weighted member in the at least one hole.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  in which the at least one weighted member is at least one metallic member, the method further comprising:
 covering surfaces of the at least one hole and the at least one metallic member each with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive; and   securing the at least one metallic member within the at least one hole with thermosetting polymer resin bonding the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the at least one hole to the coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the at least one metallic member.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57  further comprising applying said coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive in first and second layers, the first layer having a lower viscosity for penetrating and bonding to said surfaces and filling small cavities in said surfaces, and the second layer having a higher viscosity for further bonding and filling and providing a larger surface area for the thermosetting polymer resin to bond to. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  further comprising employing a thermosetting polymer resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin and polycarbonate resin. 
     
     
         60 . A method of suppressing vibration in a flywheel rotating about a horizontal axis comprising:
 providing the flywheel with a composite core member for limiting vibration propagation across the core member;   providing the flywheel with a composite rim structure formed around the core member having metallic material wound around the core member in multiple layers, the metallic material having surfaces covered with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, radially adjacent layers of the metallic material being bonded together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the metallic material for limiting vibration propagation across the rim structure.   
     
     
         61 . A method of storing energy comprising:
 providing a composite flywheel having an outer diameter of at least 48 inches and a weight of at least 10,000 lb; and   rotating the flywheel about a horizontal axis at a speed of at least 1000 rpm.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61  further comprising providing the flywheel with a weight of at least 20,000 lb. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  further comprising providing the flywheel with a weight of at least 30,000 lb. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  further comprising providing the flywheel with an outer diameter of at least 72 inches. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 61  further comprising rotating the flywheel above 9000 rpm. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 61  further comprising providing the flywheel with a composite rim structure having multiple radial layers of metallic material, the metallic material having surfaces covered with a coat of cyanoacrylate type adhesive, radially adjacent layers of the metallic material being bonded together with a thermosetting polymer resin bonded to and between opposing coats of cyanoacrylate type adhesive covering the surfaces of the metallic material. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66  further comprising providing the flywheel with a core member formed of sheets of polymeric material.